‘Network’ film screening, discussion, Feb. 26

‘Network’ film screening, discussion, Feb. 26

Please join us on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in Foundation Hall’s Manzulli Boardroom for a screening of the Sidney Lumet film, “Network,” part of Wagner College’s new “Films on Film” series. The series will be hosted by popular culture scholar and performer Tom Santopietro, who will lead a discussion following the screening of each film. The program is free, and the public is invited.

“Network,” a satirical film about a fictional television network and its struggle with poor ratings, tells the tale of TV news anchor Howard Beale, his on-air descent into madness, and the way corporate interests controlled the news media (and everything else). Released in 1976, the film won screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Other honors for “Network” include:

2000 — Selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry

2002 — Inducted into the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame

2006 — Voted one of the Top 10 screenplays by the Writers Guild of America, East

2007 — Ranked #64 in the American Film Institute’s Top 100 greatest American films

Tom Santopietro is the author of “Sinatra in Hollywood,” “Considering Doris Day” (a New York Times Editor's Choice), “The Importance of Being Barbra” and, most recently, “The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America and Me.” Combining stories and film clips, Santopietro lectures on all four books around the country. He also performs in “That’s Life!”, a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett, accompanied by Carnegie Hall headlining singer/pianist Tony DeSare.

The Barnes & Noble in-store interviewer for celebrity author appearances, Santopietro lectures nationwide on classic films. In addition, he has managed more than 30 Broadway shows over the past 25 years. A graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law, he says that he is “extremely happy not to be practicing law.”

In addition to “Network,” Tom Santopietro will host screenings and discussions of three more “Films on Film” this semester: